The Blazing Inferno
by TearfulFriend18
Summary: Months after 'Skies of Darkness', the Pure Ones have wreaked havoc across the owl kingdoms, killing all that moves. To combat this, Soren and his friends must travel to the Northern Kingdoms to learn the true art of war. But with a brother out for vengeance, a queen losing her grip on reality, and secrets around every corner, can Soren stop the fire that threatens to consume them?
1. Chaos

**BOOK II IS HERE! Sorry I didn't get this out sooner, but the fantastic Halo 4 awaits. I can't tell you of how excited I am to do this story. I think 'Skies of Darkness' has really showed me a lot about writing in general, so I think that I can get off to a better start this time around. If you didn't already know, this takes place after 'Skies of Darkness', so if you didn't read it, go do that. Now for those of you that did read it, let's go. Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of the Guardians.**

**Chapter 1  
**

Lorena couldn't concentrate. Of all the things the Boreal owl loved about Ambala, the constant storms were not one of them.

Massive storm clouds completely blocked out the moon. Rain fell upon the trees like a large tidal wave, lightning sprang across clouds like a hungry snake, and the ground seemed to shake as thunder roared across the sky.

Lorena was no stranger to these kinds of storms. Ambala's inhabitants had battled the elements for centuries, each member passing their skills from generation to generation. Lorena's father had passed his knowledge to her by her first branching, and she looked forward to passing the same material to her son.

"AAAHHH! MA, WHAT IS THAT BAD NOISE?" Pip screamed.

Her four month old son to be exact.

"Calm down my sweet. It's just thunder; we are in a storm after all."

"When will it stop?"

"Whenever Glaux decides to end it. Until then we shall just have to wait it out."

Pip glanced at the hollow's concealed opening.

"Could I try branching today ma?"

Lorena chuckled to herself. He always liked to change the subject. "First, you aren't old enough to branch. Second, no bird can fly in this weather."

"I could do it perfectly."

"Could you now?" she asked. Pip nodded his head vigorously.

"Ok, look outside and see if you still want to fly out there."

"Ok." he said.

Pip scurried out of the room to the hollows entrance. Lorena couldn't wait to taste her small victory when Pip came back. Even mothers could be competitive. Pip came back into the room a few seconds later, with a confused expression on his face.

"I thought you said that no bird could fly in this weather." he said.

"Because it's true, why?"

"Because there are a lot of owls outside, I think they're playing a game."

Lorena was now confused. "What do you mean by playing a game?"

"Well, they were all carrying these orange balls and dropping them. It kinda made everything glow, it was cool."

"Let me see." she said, moving towards the hollows entrance. When she looked outside, she felt her gizzard swell up in horror.

Ambala was burning. Fire spread from tree to tree in a great inferno, coating the air in ash and smoke. Lorena could hear screams in the air, pleas for help, pleas of mercy, all drowned out by the flames. She looked up and saw an owl carrying an orange sphere. However, it wasn't the ball of flame that filled her with dread, it was the owl's markings.

White feathers, and two red curves on it's body. Only one group had ever wore those colors, history had repeated itself.

"Pure Ones." she whispered to herself. She turned back to get Pip, but found herself face to face with a barn owl. His face looked burnt, and three long scars ran across his face. His eyes were the darkest shade of red, gleaming with malice.

Before she could even blink, an immense pain spread across her stomach. She looked down, the soldier has sunk his talons into her body, clutching something. The pain was so intense that she couldn't even speak, she could only stare in horror. The soldier saw this and grinned. Without any words, he ripped something from her belly, covered in gore and pulsating rapidly.

He had taken her heart.

The demon before her chuckled to himself, pushing her to the ground, and squeezing the organ in front of her, covering her face in blood. He forcefully opened her mouth and shoved the bloody mass down her throat. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't even gag. She could only stare at the chaos before her.

The soldier moved closer to her ear and whispered, "Be sure to send Glaux my condolences."

She could barely see anymore, everything had become a blur, all turning into darkness. Amidst the screams around her, one voice stood out.

"Ma! Help me! He's gunna kill me! HEL-"

A single tear leaked out of her eye, before she became cold and forever still.

* * *

Kludd looked upon his kills in disappointment; he expected a fight at least.

In the few months since his failure at the Ga'hoole tree, Kludd had changed. Whatever emotion he felt towards his 'queen' had been severed. Kludd had confessed himself to Nyra, and she had permanently marked him. It was meant to weaken him, but in reality, it had made him stronger. He wasn't bound to anyone anymore. There was no need for family, or love. There was only room for power.

"Oy, Kludd! Any survivors?" A long eared owl by the name of Jatt called out.

"No. The fire got this lot." Kludd yelled back.

"Eh, good riddance." Jatt's brother Jutt yelled back.

"Don't say that, I don't think they deserved to die." Jatt responded, looking appalled.

"They're not one of us, they don't deserve life. Don't tell me you've gone soft on me."

"Of course not."

"Great. Now let's get out of here, work on our evil stares." Jutt said, taking flight.

"Yeah, whatever." his cousin responded before following him.

Kludd rolled his eyes in frustration.

_What a bunch of worthless morons._ he thought to himself. He looked around at the chaos before him, the endless screaming brining a smile to his face. He had accomplished so much more in the last few months than he had ever thought possible. Kingdom after kingdom had fallen, and now that Ambala was destroyed, the southern kingdoms were now in the Pure One's talons.

St. Aggies had still proven to be troublesome. Skench and her forces wouldn't dare face defeat, even when she was surrounded on all sides. Kludd had to give her credit for her stubbornness, but at some point, any owl could break, and Skench wasn't far from that point.

Even closer to the point were the Guardians. If the attack had done anything, it had weakened their resolve. And to hear that they had failed the southern kingdoms would be mud in their eyes. The perfect revenge...

No. The perfect revenge would be the death of Soren. He was sure that his Guardian brother was well at home in that wretched tree, and Kludd would love nothing more than to watch it burn to the ground.

But strangely, his thoughts had begun to trail towards Nyra of all owls, and when it did, pure rage coursed within him, even more so than his brother.

If one thing was certain, it was this; Nyra would pay for the grief she had caused him. Kludd grinned, savoring the thought.

* * *

Soren woke up with a jolt, only to be greeted by the unnerving glow of the sun. It was strange to see such a hot object in the middle of winter, then again it was strange to wake up to the sun at all.

"Another damn nightmare? When will these end?" he winced.

The nightmares had become a regular occurrence since the attack, and his father's death. The parliament had seemingly broken up into several groups, each trying to figure out the best solution to combat the enemy. On top of that, news had spread that the Pure Ones were far from defeated, that they had already begun attacking small settlements in the southern kingdoms. It was utter chaos.

But not all things were bad. Eglantine had started to lose her down feathers, and was already looking forward to her training as a Guardian. Twilight had replaced Strix Struma as the temporary head of the combat chaw, and Gylfie and Digger had somewhat begun a small relationship. They didn't do much, at least when Soren wasn't looking. Then again, the same could be said for him and Otulissa. In the months of comforting, the pair had become a bit more _passionate _towards each other. It didn't matter what the others thought, they were in love. So much in fact that they didn't even refer to each other as 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'. They referred to each other as 'mates', even though it wasn't official. Yet.

"Are you ok?" a voice as sweet as autumn nectar whispered behind him.

"As long as your here, I'll be fine." Soren responded, smiling.

"This is the third nightmare this week, are you su-"

"Otulissa, I'm fine, I promise you." When she gave him a disbelieving look, he quickly scrambled for words. "I'm just cold, that's all."

"That's all?" she asked.

Soren nodded in response.

"Well, then I think I know a way to make you feel a bit warmer." she said seductively, pushing her body against his.

Even months after he had confessed his love to her, she still found ways to make him blush.

"While I do like that idea, it's the middle of the day, I don't want to wake anyb-" he was stopped when she pressed her beak against his, swirling her tongue around his, savoring his taste.

When they broke apart for air, she gave Soren the most mischievous smile she could muster, all while playing his back feathers sensually.

"What were you saying?" she asked playfully.

Soren didn't need to answer. He smashed his beak upon her own, the force letting her fall gently onto the floor, with Soren on top of her. He only needed to look into her beautiful hazel eyes one last time before they closed in utter bliss.

Here, in the midst of the chaos, he took her for his own. And all the while, the sun shined brighter than ever.

**Good? Bad? Sexy? Please let me know in your reviews. In the great words of Master Chief: "I think we're just getting started."**


	2. Planning

**Hello! Welcome to Chapter 2 of Book 2. How suiting. If this chapter is a tad short, it's because my stupid computer deleted the last part, which I will save for Chapter 3. Thanks to all of you who've reviewed, I greatly appreciate it. If you've read 'Skies of Darkness', then you've heard about 'Between Brothers'. I don't need to tell you that it's awesome, it's a stone cold fact. However, if you like Spyro at all, then I HIGHLY recommend you read "The Snare of Darkness' by DragonMaster000, The sequel to my favorite story: 'The Broken Line'. It's epic. Well then, on with the show. Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of the Guardians. **

**Chapter 2  
**

Gylfie slowly opened her eyes, observing the quiet hollow around her. She looked behind her to see Digger, sound asleep and wings still wrapped around her.

She smiled and nuzzled herself in his soft feathers. Even though he was asleep, she felt safe around him, like he was a shield.

A shield that was in love with her.

Despite being in a relationship with him for a couple of weeks, she still did not know wiether she returned the feelings for him. After the fiasco with Cobalt, she did not know if what she was feeling for Digger was love or infatuation. Either way, she felt _something_ for him.

She had felt something for him even when they had first met. When her and Soren were merely looking for a place to rest.

* * *

_"Hmm. Name's Digger." the strange owl replied, jumping from his spot and gesturing to a large tree. "The hollow's this way."_

_She attempted to follow him, but her leg was still hurt from that Pure One soldier. As soon as she put pressure on her left leg, pain shot through it. She grunted in pain._

_"Gylfie, you alright?" Soren asked._

_"I'm still a bit hurt. But I'll be fine."_

_"Whoa now, you need something for this." Digger replied. "Hey Barny, c-"_

_"Soren."_

_"Whatever, could you go up inside and check on the fire. "I've got some maggots roasting." He licked his beak. "Yummy."_

_"Alright then, I'll make sure your maggots are... ready." he replied._

_"Gylfie, I think, wait here." he said before scurrying off into the fog._

_She took the time to admire her surroundings. She had never been to Ambala before. Unlike the cold confines of St. Aggies or the hot extremes of Kuneer, this place was damp, mildly humid, and absolutely beautiful. She would love to live here, but then again, she'd love to do a lot of things._

_Digger scurried out of the fog with a... rose in his beak, filled with some kind of fluid at the base._

_"Well at least you're straight forward." she chuckled to herself._

_"Oh ha, ha, ha." he muttered. "Me and my friend Twilight like to keep our medicine in these things. The damp weather kinda mixes the stuff with the... You know, Twilight could explain this a lot better than me."_

_He ripped a piece of moss from the undergrowth and dabbed the liquid onto it._

_"Hold out your leg."_

_She complied. He began to rub the moss on the cut, causing her to wince in pain._

_"Hey, guess what?" he asked._

_"What?"_

_"What do you call an owl who's been causing too much trouble"_

_"Um... I don't know."_

_"A Whoooligan." this earned a chuckle from her and a smile on his face. She looked up at him, but couldn't help but look in his eyes. They were a tinted green, full of happiness and joy. They were beautiful._

_"OK, that should stop the pain for now. Come on, let's see if your friend has eaten up all the maggots." he said, starting up the hill._

* * *

She opened her eyes again from the memory, only this time, she looked at Digger in a happier mood. She nuzzled her head against him and kissed the side of his head affectionately.

"Young love." a booming voice yelled.

Both her and Digger practically jumped out of their feathers in fright, only to see Twilight chuckling to himself.

"By Joe, it looks like I've ruined the mood, how shameful of me."

"Indeed." Digger retorted.

"Oh cheer up lads, tonight's a big night. The milkberry festival is here, and we've got a lot of decorating to do."

"I don't suppose they'll need extra music-"

"Not to worry, my lute shall bring joy to everyone who hears it."

"Yes, Twilight. I'm sure it will." Digger mumbled.

"IT WILL, YOU'LL SEE!"

* * *

"Ezylryb, I ask for your opinion. Do you think having the festival this year is wise? Considering the recent events?"

The snowy owl looked at his old friend with wisdom. The parliament was completely empty aside from the two of them, allowing them to discuss current events in peace.

"With all due respect Boron, these owls have been through absolute hell after the attack. They need something to take it off their minds."

"As could I my friend. I don't like being reminded that I was nearly killed by the brother of one of our guardians."

"It's been hard on all of them," Ezylryb contemplated, "But Soren has seemed to focus on other things, like Otulissa."

"Have they... Joined?"

Ezylryb chuckled. "Oh yes my king, they have joined_ many _times."

"At the rate they're going, I wouldn't be surprised to see a wedding soon enough."

"Boron, while this festival will be good for the tree, we can't forget that the Pure Ones are still out there. If they've managed to strike the tree once, you can be sure that they'll do it again. Especially with Nyra still at the helm. We need to be prepared."

"After the festival, we'll call a meeting in the parliament to discuss the plans to help the other regions. The Pure Ones have seemed to lay low for some reason. We need to make sure they stay that way. But for now, let's enjoy the party."

* * *

With a grunt, Uglamore rose from his small bed. He brushed off some of the dust clinging to his feathers, preened his wingtips a bit, and watched as the familiar shape of the nurse maid snake slithered into view.

"And how are we feeling today dear?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"A bit better, my head doesn't hurt as much as before, but it still aches from time to time."

"Excellent, the worse seems to be over for you dear."

"Why do you keep calling me 'dear'? Have you forgotten what I tried to do to your little one?"

"No I have not. But what I do remember is that she comes to see you as much as she can, and you're so nice to her. And quite frankly, you've been quite the gentlemen lately to me as well. Dear."

He chuckled to himself. "Well I'm fine Mrs. P. Thank you."

"Of course, I'll check up on you later." she said, slithering away.

He hated the Guardians, but for the past months he had been thinking hostile thoughts towards the Pure Ones as well. He had given everything to be with them, and in return, they had left him. Not just anywhere, but in the heart of the enemy's dwelling. He had expected torture and exile, just as his comrades would have done. But what he didn't expect was for them to heal him and treat him with care. They were no doubt hostile towards him, but that was to be expected.

Another thing that was expected was the interrogation. The Guardians had questioned him about any plans that may had been discussed when he was with the Pure Ones, but he didn't have anything to say. Because he honestly didn't know. Nyra had become strange before the attack. She didn't seem to trust anyone with her plans, and had acted very _skittish_ when she was questioned about them.

Who knew where her state of mind was at this time.

The one thing that had completely blown him away was the fact that Eglantine, the one Nyra had ordered to abduct, had been the most concerned for him. Every week she would come visit him, asking if he needed anything or just starting a conversation. It was sweet, he was always glad to have her around.

Her brother Soren however, did not approve of this at all.

He would get furious with her when he found her talking to him, telling her to stay away from the 'pile of spronk'.

But Uglamore understood. Soren was just a brother looking out for his little sister. He respected him for that.

Suddenly, a rather large owl entered the view. He wore strange objects on his eyes, and smelled of coal and fire.

It was his 'favorite' member of the tree: Bubo, the blacksmith.

"How we doing today Red-Eye?"

"Bubo, you know names don't work on me."

"Eh, whatever. Listen, the Milksberry festival is tonight, and Boron has sent me to tell you that you're welcome to join us."

"Well, that do-"

"And that you know what will happen if you try anything stupid."

"All too well my friend."

"You coming or what?" he said, taking his leave.

"Yeah, right behind you, soot feathers."

**A.N: Sorry for it being so short. I'll try to make the next one longer. Please review. Adios.**


	3. Broken

**OK, there is absolutely NO excuse as to why I didn't get this chapter finished, but nevertheless, here it is. Quick word of advise, I've decided to make this story a lot more dark than I intended, so enjoy the next couple of chapters of peace, because hell is coming. I don't own Legend of the Guardians.**

_**Chapter 3**_

The candle burned, the only source of light in the dark room, giving the owl a better chance to see.

She stared. That was all Nyra could do now as she held her beloved's heirloom. His great mask. The very same mask that sent horror to all the owl kingdoms.

To his victims, it was a symbol of terror.

For the Pure Ones, it was a symbol of dominance.

For Nyra, it was a symbol of love and despair.

She ran her talons across the cold metal, feeling its seemingly endless markings. It was like she was holding her deceased mate in her wings. He was the most striking owl she ever met, able to induce both horror and pride with one push of his wing.

Never again would there be another owl like him.

A single tear pushed itself from her eye, causing her to freeze.

Taking a talon, she caught the tear from her face and examined it. This mere droplet of liquid was a sign of weakness.

She didn't tolerate weakness.

With a cry of anguish, the queen of the Pure Ones hurled the tear against the wall with a barely audible 'pip'.

She turned away; ready to go to her loyal soldiers when she stopped.

The entrance to her hollow was gone

All of the sudden, a sound entered her ears.

It was as if the flesh of a freshly dead carcass was being ripped apart.

As if... 'What in the name of Glaux?' she thought as she turned around.

The small tear that had landed against the wall had spread, like the roots of a tree. Wherever the tendrils touched, the rock became a bubbling mass, seemingly dissolving the wall around it. In its center was a blood red mass, expanding slowly and bulging to form a shape.

The shape that formed sent chills down her spine.

It took the appearance of an owl's face.

_Her_ face.

She stood there, frozen, as the doppelganger began to smile.

"Hello Nyra." said a strange voice, distorted and filled malice.

"Who are you?" Nyra questioned with a sneer.

The creature merely responded with a sound. A wail, a screech of pure agony and pain.

As the sound hammered her ears, the false image of her face began to open its mouth. Even when its beak reached its limits, it still kept opening, until the sides of her mouth began to stretch.

All at once, the edges of its mouth began to tear apart, causing blood to ooze from the wound. Instead of flesh, long, bloody tendrils wiggled from inside as the creature continued to wail.

Without warning, a long, barbed tongue shot from its mouth, wrapping itself around Nyra's neck, cutting off her scream.

Despite her struggles, the creature pulled her closer to it. Like a colony of slimy snakes, the tendrils slithered into Nyra. They slid through her mouth, through her eyes, and some simply pushed through her feathers and into her skin.

She was wounded, she was blind, and she was dying. But despite her pain, she could hear the malevolent voice around her.

"If I were you, I'd take pleasure in the time I have left; I suggest you do the same."

Without a sound, the tendrils tightened, and pulled in both directions, pulling her body apart in a shower of gore.

* * *

Nyra woke up in a shock, feeling her body with her wings to make sure it was still intact.

She looked over at the mask. Was it cursed? Was the spirit of her dead husband haunting her?

Or was it someone else? It couldn't be Kludd, the traitor wouldn't dare challenge her authority after what she did to him. It had to be someone else.

Her thoughts drifted to a more ancient part of her mind, a place she had not visited in ages.

_Could it be… No. That's impossible_. She asserted herself.

_Such nonsense,_ she thought, _I do not have time for such worries. I have an army to command._

With that she left, failing to notice a small cluster of vein-like tendrils retreat into the stone.

* * *

Kludd looked at his talon with strange curiosity. The red liquid upon it slowly dripping down until it fell onto the wet ground below.

With a smirk, he smashed it down again onto a large mass, covered in scars and bleeding profusely. Unk tried to speak, call for help, but his beak could barely move because of the branch that held it in place. Not that he had the strength to move anyways.

"Shhhhhh. My dear Unk, I really wouldn't bother doing that. Not because I don't belive that you will succed, but because I know that nobody cares." Kludd sneered, digging his talon into Unk's warm flesh, and dragging him down into a small cave.

For a minute, all was silent, until a large bellow resonated within the cave.

A cry for help.

A cry for help that lasted a mere moment before it stopped forever.

**A.N: Is it short? Yes. My shortest chapter to date? Yes :(. But it took me forever to get this chapter done, so please bear with me. And if you can, please review, or check out my new story for Disney's Paperman: Torn Edges. Thank you all for reading.**


End file.
